Several years after his playing career was cut short by injury before it had a chance to really begin, John Madden was hired as an assistant coach by the Oakland Raiders, one of professional football's most iconoclastic franchises. Two years later he was named the team's head coach and proceeded to lead the Raiders to five championship games in his first seven seasons. Following years of heartbreaking losses in some of history's most memorable games.

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Publisher's Summary

Several years after his playing career was cut short by injury before it had a chance to really begin, John Madden was hired as an assistant coach by the Oakland Raiders, one of professional football's most iconoclastic franchises. Two years later he was named the team's head coach and proceeded to lead the Raiders to five championship games in his first seven seasons. Following years of heartbreaking losses in some of history's most memorable games including the Immaculate Reception against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1972 Madden and the Raiders finally reached the mountaintop, winning Super Bowl XI and giving Oakland its first title. One year later, Madden abruptly left the game he loved, retiring with the second-best winning percentage in NFL history. Had John Madden's football career ended there, his life would still be remarkable. The fact that it was only just beginning has made him an American icon and a beloved legend to millions of fans across the globe.

In Madden, longtime sports columnist Bryan Burwell has written the first comprehensive biography of this living legend. From his days as a star athlete in Daly City, California, Madden was driven to succeed, a trait that helped him persevere during his tumultuous years with the Raiders under Al Davis and compelled him to try his hand at broadcasting after his coaching career was over. Madden's incredible football knowledge, down-home sensibilities, and tireless work ethic made him arguably the most popular sports analyst in any sport and led to a long and storied career as a TV pitchman. In the third stage of his public life, the Hall of Fame coach became known to new generations of fans through his eponymous line of groundbreaking video games, which are among the best-selling titles of all time.

Madden is an entertaining, enlightening, and often poignant look back at the life of one of the greatest coaches, broadcasters, and beloved ambassadors the game has ever known.

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